Photo by James A. McBride
Father George Seiter, pastor, stands with Peggy and Tony Messina, who worked to make the merger of Holy Rosary and St. Pius X parishes into Holy Eucharist Parish, Cherry Hill, go smoothly.
CHERRY HILL — The Holy Eucharist Parish is quickly finding its new identity after the merger of Holy Rosary and St. Pius X parishes on Dec. 23, 2009.
“Administratively, the merger was easy,” said Peggy Messina, a former trustee with St. Pius X. Her husband, Tony, was a core team member and part of the deanery planning team. “Holy Rosary had lost its school, and membership in the church was dwindling; merger between the two parishes seemed to be a natural process.”
Tony pointed out that this stewardship process had gone well. “There was a lot of similarity in the makeup of the people of the two parishes,” he said. “And things seem to be settling down now. Stewardship, for example, includes compromises as to when the Masses should be celebrated.”
“For instance,” Tony said, “Pius had an 8 a.m. Mass and Holy Rosary had an 8:30 a.m. Mass. So we split the difference and made an 8:15 Mass. We split the difference for all the Masses. And Holy Rosary had a beautiful piano that the parishioners loved. So we brought it to Holy Eucharist.”
Tony and Peggy are Eucharistic ministers and Tony served as a lector. Both have encouraged Eucharistic ministers and lectors from Holy Rosary and Pius X to continue their ministries in the new parish. Those who have said yes to the offer, Tony explained, were put on the schedule.
He noted that the Pius X church building is the new worship site for the parish. “We went out of our way to make the Holy Rosary people feel at home,” Tony explained.
“People from both parishes were made to feel welcome. We have had people from other parishes come to worship at Holy Eucharist,” Tony added.
Father George Seiter, former pastor at St. Aloysius in Oaklyn and pastor of St. Pius X and Holy Rosary before being named head of the new parish, celebrates Mass at Holy Eucharist along with senior priest Father Michael Coffey.
“Father Timothy Byerley is in residence,” Tony stated, “and travels quite a bit but when he’s in he will often do one of the three Sunday Masses. Father Bob Smith, retired and living at St. Mary’s, will also do a Sunday Mass on occasion.”
Tony got involved with the planning committee for the merger after Father Seiter asked him.
“I chose Tony to be a team member two years ago,” the pastor said. “Tony put his whole heart and soul in it. He and Peggy are great people to work with. They go beyond what’s asked of them.”
Father Seiter said Tony put a lot of insight and expertise into his work on the committee.
After the merger, Tony continued on the parish council, where he had been for six years, and Peggy is the rectory cook for the priests and staff.
“I do their food shopping and make their dinners and occasionally lunch and also cook for special events,” she said. “They get their own breakfasts, though.”
Peggy noted that the staff members get along well together.
“I’ve never seen a group of women who get along so well with the priests,” she said. “And we were very fortunate with the merger to keep most of those who had been employed at the two parishes.”
Peggy said that as far as the custodians were concerned, “we needed two and kept two,” she said. “One retired so we had to replace him.”
“Our religious education director is Dee Oterstein,” Peggy said. “Dee worked at Holy Rosary as the assistant to the previous director. She helped make a smooth transition with the combining of our religious education classes.”
For more information on stewardship contact Deacon Russell Davis, Office of Stewardship, at 856-583-6102.
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